by Apple has confirmed that game streaming services like Google Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud will not be available on iOS because they are “out of compliance” with the App Store.
Apple made an official announcement right after Microsoft announced it would stop testing xCloud on iOS without saying if it plans to launch the service on iOS at all.
Services like Stadia and xCloud provide the ability to play any game without a PC or console on any device, with only a stable high-speed internet connection and a gamepad. The games themselves are launched on remote servers, and only a picture is broadcast to the user’s device.
According to App Store rules, all applications that the user launches must pass security checks. In other words, Apple requires that not only streaming applications but also any game launched through these services go through standard verification.
“The App Store was created as a safe place for consumers to find and download apps, and provides great business opportunities for all developers. Before being published on the store, each app is tested to ensure compliance with policies designed to protect consumers and provide a fair and level playing field for developers. “
snippet from Apple’s official statement
Interestingly, Apple said roughly the same thing last year in response to Spotify’s accusations of unfair competition.
Microsoft said in a comment to The Verge that it hadn’t found a way to launch xCloud on iOS through the App Store, stressing that Apple itself was to blame.
“Apple excels in having the only general purpose platform that denies consumers cloud and subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it is consistently stricter on gaming applications, although other applications, even those that include interactive content, are softer.
All games featured in the Xbox Game Pass catalog have been reviewed by independent rating agencies such as ESRB and similar regional counterparts. We’re looking to find a way to bring cloud gaming from Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to iOS.
Our vision is that the client should be at the center of the gameplay, and the gamers tell us they want to play, communicate and share information anytime, anywhere. We fully support this position. “
from Microsoft official statement
As has been said many times, this is not the first time that an application has proven to be problematic in terms of App Store policy. Valve experienced the rigors of Apple’s policies last year with the Steam Link app for streaming games to smartphones and tablets – so it took a year and many attempts to add the app to the App Store.
Recall that on June 16, 2020, the European Commission announced two antitrust investigations against Apple, one of which is a response to last year’s complaint from Spotify due to the unfair commission size and restrictions of competing services. And Microsoft, among others, supported the decision of the European Commission, in fact, accusing Apple of restricting competition.
The source notes that there are several ways to bypass the rules, citing the Shadow cloud gaming service as an example – by paying for a subscription, a gamer gets a dedicated server at his disposal, on which you can run any application, including games. At the same time, it is unlikely that Microsoft or Google will resort to such tricks, in the near future it will not.
Source: The Verge
